Micro Bar, Manchester

Visited again a week or so and it's pretty much as it was at the time of my earlier review. On this occasion all four hand pulls were in active service and the two ales I sampled were enjoyable and in good condition. They also do warm pork crackling, which had to be tried and accompanied my drinks very nicely. One of the ales I had was by "From The Cellar" brewery - I haven't been able to find out much about this brewery but it may well be a local outfit that the Micro Bar is supporting.

Visited yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. Observed four hand pulls at the bar, two of which were on and two unclipped. The two available offerings were Elland GPA and Ilkley Mary Jane. I opted for the GPA which was a pleasant ale with a subtle ginger kick. Slipped down very nicely with the two samosas I had purchased from a nearby food stall. On that subject, Micro Bar now has its own area sectioned off as being for customers only, though you are welcome to bring food in if you are having a drink. My GPA was £3.50 a pint, or £1.75 for a half. There also seemed to be six keg taps and loads of bottles in the fridges and on the shelves. Seating consists of a mix of tables and chairs, stools around the end section of the bar, and stools at a ledge in front of the window looking out onto High Street. Nice for a quick stop off if you're in the area or shopping in the Arndale, though not sure it's the kind of place you would really stay for a session.

seems like a decent place for a swift one if you’re in the Arndale, probably not worth seeking out otherwise. it’s absolutely tiny and just blends into the street food stalls surrounding it. Any atmosphere is obviously killed by the noise from the market. I bought a samosa (£1) from the Indian stall around the corner and washed it down nicely with a half of Plum Porter.

Have visited a handful of times over the past few years, most recently this Sunday just gone. Obviously you are restricted to market opening hours which rules out an evening visit. There are a number of stools round the bar and a single table (made from a barrel) with two chairs. The rest of the seating available is shared with the rest of the market which in a way is good because you can bring your food here and get a drink to go with it, but the downside is you might not be able to get a seat because of people just eating their lunch. At the bar I spotted 4 real ales plus 2 ciders, in addition to 5 keg taps on the back wall and fridges full of cans and bottles including soft drinks for non-drinkers. There are also shelves full of bottles and cans for purchase to take away. A lot of Belgian stuff featured plus cans from the likes of Cloudwater, Wander Beyond and Beavertown. You can't come here and say there is nothing to drink (unless you only like Fosters). Available at the time of my visit were Karma Citra (see what they did there?) by Wily Fox, Nice Weather by Dancing Duck, Pale Rider by Kelham Island and the cider I had was Bee Sting by Lilley's, a lovely sweet 7.5% cider. I accepted the offer of ice in my pint of Bee Sting as I have previously found here that the real ales can be on the warmer side of average (presumably they have no actual cellar). I noticed newspapers were available but most of the customers seemed content with sitting round the bar. An unusual place and definitely an oasis in the madness of the Arndale Centre.

Compact market-stall bar and bottle shop under the cover of the Arndale Centre. Very limited seating with just a few tall chairs around the angled counter. Five handpumps, dispensing Phoenix Arizona, Dancing Duck DCUK, Old Forge Bitter from Half Moon and Bradford Winter Warming Stout (£3.00) plus Old Rosie cider. Fine for a quick one.